The use of chemical pesticides as a main pest control strategy has been highly criticised due to environmental pollution and negative effects on natural enemies of pests. In modern farming, it is essential to implement integrated pest management approaches that seek to control insect pests without causing environmental damage, e.g. the use of companion plants. Basil and Mexican marigold are often used as companion plants to attract greenhouse whiteflies, hence reducing damage to solanaceous crops, but the mechanism and role of volatile cues in crop protection strategies are unknown. This study found that both flowering basil and marigold were preferred to tomato by the greenhouse whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum) in Y-tube olfactometer bioassays. PCA revealed that some volatiles were more correlated to one stage than to another. The dominant volatile constituents of Mexican marigold are limonene, dihydrotagetone, (Z)-β-ocimene, α-pinene, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, and those from basil are linalool, 1,8-cineole, eugenol and β-elemene. Among these dominant compounds, 1,8-cineole and (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate elicited strong attraction in greenhouse whitefly at 0.01%, whereas (Z)-β-ocimene and linalool elicited strong repellence at 0.1% and 1% dosages. This suggested that the basil flowering stage attraction is due to 1,8-cineole. These volatiles demonstrated potential as lures or bio-repellents and could be used in a “push–pull” semiochemical approach for greenhouse whitefly management.

由于环境污染和对有害生物天敌的负面影响，化学农药作为主要有害生物防治策略受到了广泛的批评。在现代农业中，至关重要的是要实施综合的有害生物管理方法，以在不造成环境损害的情况下控制病虫害，例如使用伴生植物。罗勒和墨西哥万寿菊常被用作陪伴植物来吸引温室粉虱，从而减少对茄类作物的损害，但是挥发性提示在作物保护策略中的作用和作用尚不清楚。这项研究发现，温室大粉虱（Trialeurodes vaporariorum）比番茄更喜欢开花的罗勒和万寿菊。）在Y型管嗅仪生物测定中。PCA显示，某些挥发物与一个阶段的相关性高于与另一个阶段的相关性。墨西哥万寿菊的主要挥发性成分为柠檬烯，二氢潘通酮，（Z）-β-西门烯，α-pine烯，（Z）-3-己烯基乙酸酯，而罗勒的成分为芳樟醇，1,8-桉树脑，丁香酚和β-榄香烯。在这些主要化合物中，1,8-桉树脑和（Z）-3-己烯基乙酸酯在温室粉虱中以0.01％引起强烈的吸引力，而（Z）-β-ocimene和芳樟醇在0.1％和1％剂量下均具有较强的驱避性。这表明罗勒开花期吸引归因于1,8-桉树脑。这些挥发物显示出潜在的诱剂或生物驱避剂作用，可用于温室植物粉虱管理的“推挽式”化学信息学方法。